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It may seem straight out of Moby Dick, but a rare white whale is thrilling Australians off the eastern coast.

The albino humpback has been nicknamed "Migaloo" by researchers who track his movements.

Albino whales are rare and Migaloo is the only documented all-white humpback adult, according to Peter Harrison, director of marine ecology research at Southern Cross University in Australia.

Migaloo was first seen in 1991 when he was a juvenile, Harrison says, and researchers believe he is now in his 20s.

The humpbacks are on their annual migration from their breeding grounds along the Great Barrier Reef back to feed in the Antarctic.

"Everyone here is quite excited," says Oskar Peterson, who runs a website that tracks sightings of white whales around the globe. "We see him almost every year now, but it's still front page news when he turns up."

Photos:Photos: Albinos of the animal kingdom

Photos:Photos: Albinos of the animal kingdom

Albinos of the animal kingdom – The albino humpback whale nicknamed Migaloo cruises along the eastern coast of Australia near Coffs Harbour with another whale in 2005. On Thursday, June 19, he was spotted swimming along the coast near Sydney on his annual migration.

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Photos:Photos: Albinos of the animal kingdom

Albinos of the animal kingdom – A rare 300-pound marlin was caught and released off the coast of Costa Rica during a fishing trip run by Maverick Yachts and Maverick Sportfishing Tours on March 11. It's being called the first-ever recorded albino blue marlin, according to the company's Facebook page. It's unclear whether the fish was albino or leucistic, retaining some essence of its normal pigmentation.

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Photos:Photos: Albinos of the animal kingdom

Albinos of the animal kingdom – An albino killer whale nicknamed Iceberg, the only all-white, adult killer whale ever spotted, travels in a pod of 13 orcas near Bering Island off the coast of Russia.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – A rare albino tammar wallaby and its twin at Chris Humfrey's Wild Action Zoon in Macedon, Australia.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – Two-week-old Sri Lankan Albino cobras at the National Zoological Gardens in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – An albino baby turtle swims with green sea turtle babies in a pond at Khram island, Thailand.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – A wild white donkey on the island of Asinara, Italy. The donkey is an albino variant of the more common Sardinian donkey.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – These two white albino alligators live in the Alligator Bay zoological park in Beauvoir, France.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – Two albino porcupines compete for a corn cob at the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad, India.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – An albino hedgehog in the Zoo of the Botanical Garden in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – A rare albino buffalo grazes in Hellsgate National Park in Naivasha, Kenya.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – An albino squirrel in Hout Bay, South Africa.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – A rare albino southern right whale calf surfaces at West Australia's Flinder's Bay.

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Albinos of the animal kingdom – A rare baby two-humped camel stands with its mother in a private zoo at the Crimean resort of Yalta.

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Migaloo is expected to pass by Cape Byron, the easternmost point in Australia, in the coming hours after passing by Surfer's Paradise, Peterson says. Spotters of the whale share sightings at his website

Male humpbacks can travel up to 140 kilometers (87 miles) a day during their migration, according to experts.

But they often hang around Cape Byron searching for mates, so whale watchers may see the albino humpback for a few more days, Harrison says.

He warns fans to steer clear -- at least 500 meters away at all times -- to ensure the whale's survival. Too much noise and chasing can disturb him and cause him to use precious energy he needs for migration.

Whale watchers may be able to enjoy Migaloo for decades. Humpback whales are believed to survive as long as 90 years in the wild, Harrison says.